Yes, this is part of the reason that less than 2% of Americans will actually be ensnared by the individual mandate.
“Haven’t you heard about Medi-Share?” a pitchwoman asks a friend complaining about insurance costs in a commercial for the plan. “It isn’t insurance; it’s a nationwide network of Christians who save money by sharing each other’s medical bills. We get to pick our own doctors, and our share is almost 40 percent less than our old premium…Medi-Share is a health-sharing ministry, which makes it exempt from the health reform laws.”
It’s gotten little attention, but it’s true: The individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act requires all Americans to have health insurance or face penalties, but members of medical-sharing ministries are exempt from the individual mandate....
Full story from CNBC. Hat tip: John Goodman's Health Policy Blog (Link)
